Karma El-Fadl has been working to urge WHO to secure fuel for hospitals in Lebanon. Here is the news so far..<br><br><br>---------- Forwarded message ----------<br><span class="gmail_quote">From: <b class="gmail_sendername">
Karma El-Fadl</b> <<a href="mailto:kohkarma@yahoo.com">kohkarma@yahoo.com</a>><br>Date: 10-Aug-2006 07:06<br>Subject: FYI...WHO following up on fuel shortages<br><br><br></span><div><div><span lang="en-gb"><font face="Times New Roman">
Fuel shortages in Lebanon a grave threat to people's health</font></span> <br><span lang="en-gb"><font face="Times New Roman">WHO urges all parties to secure safe passage of fuel supplies for health facilities </font></span>
<br><span lang="en-gb"><font face="Times New Roman">7 AUGUST 2006 | GENEVA -- WHO warns that if fuel is not delivered this week, 60% of all hospitals in Lebanon, in addition to other health facilities will simply cease to function. WHO urges all parties to ensure the safe passage of fuel, as a matter of priority.
</font></span></div> <div><span lang="en-gb"><font face="Times New Roman">Due to the damage to infrastructure in the conflict-affected areas of Lebanon, hospitals and other health centres are relying on fuel to run generators. Power is essential to run operating theatres, life-saving equipment including incubators for newborns, refrigeration for vaccines and treatments including insulin. It is also
essential for safe water provision and hygiene.<br>Related links</font></span> <br><span lang="en-gb"><font face="Times New Roman">:: </font></span><a><span lang="en-gb"><u><font color="#0000ff" face="Times New Roman">More on the Middle East humanitarian crisis
</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-gb"> <br><font face="Times New Roman">WHO has received reports that fuel supplies are running dangerously low. One hospital in Marjayoun, for example, reports that it will run out of fuel by Wednesday.
</font></span></div> <div><span lang="en-gb"><font face="Times New Roman">"Based on available information, if there is no fuel delivered in the next few days, more than half of the hospitals will not be able to operate by the end of this week and the situation will be much worse next week," warned Dr Ala Alwan, Representative of the WHO Director-General for Health Action in Crises.
</font></span></div> <div><span lang="en-gb"><font face="Times New Roman">Lebanon has 12 000 hospital beds. A reasonable estimate is that, in order to function, each hospital bed needs 80 litres of fuel per week for electric power. Up until now, fuel deliveries have been severely hampered because of the ongoing military operations.
</font></span></div> <div><span lang="en-gb"><font face="Times New Roman">Without fuel, hospitals will be paralyzed. "Fuel is key in any basic infrastructure. The provision of fuel is a matter of life or death in a hospital setting. We urge all parties to ensure safe passage of fuel supplies to hospitals" said Dr Alwan.
</font></span></div> <div><span lang="en-gb"><font face="Times New Roman">Fuel shipments are ready to be sent to Lebanon as soon as the security situation allows. Fuel tanks are also ready to be sent from Beirut to other areas in Lebanon in convoys, provided security is ensured.
</font></span></div> <div><span lang="en-gb"><b><font face="Times New Roman">For more
information contact:</font></b><br><br><font face="Times New Roman">Fadéla Chaib<br>Communications officer<br>WHO/Geneva<br>Telephone: + 41 22 791 32 28<br>E-mail: </font></span><a href="mailto:chaibf@who.int" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
<span lang="en-gb"><u><font color="#0000ff" face="Times New Roman">chaibf@who.int</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-gb"><font face="Times New Roman"><br><br>Rana Sidani<br>Information officer<br>WHO/Geneva<br>Telephone: + 41 22 791 55 73
<br>E-mail: </font></span><a href="mailto:sidanir@who.int" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"><span lang="en-gb"><u><font color="#0000ff" face="Times New Roman">sidanir@who.int</font></u>
</span></a><span lang="en-gb"><font face="Times New Roman"><br><br>Chris Black<br>Communications officer<br>Beirut<br>Telephone: + 41 79 472 60 54<br>E-mail: </font></span><a href="mailto:blackc@who.int" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
<span lang="en-gb"><u><font color="#0000ff" face="Times New Roman">blackc@who.int</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-gb"><font face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div></div><div><span class="ad"><p>
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